Seventeenth Air Force

Cold War

The establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, increased USAFE's responsibilities. Seventeenth Air Force was thus established on 17 April 1953 and then activated on 25 April 1953 at Rabat, Morocco. The 316th Air Division was part of the 17th AF and headquartered at Site 11 outside Sale across from the French Airbase in the Cork forest. Seventeenth Air Force operated throughout North Africa, Portugal, Austria, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Ceylon and the Mediterranean islands. Seventeenth Air Force had been solely assigned to U.S. Air Forces, Europe, throughout its existence.

Seventeenth Air Force was moved to Wheelus Air Base, Libya, on 1 August 1956 as the command expanded into Italy, Greece, and Turkey. The command exchanged its support mission for the defensive and offensive air missions in Central Europe in 1959.

The headquarters was then relocated in November 1959 to Ramstein AB, West Germany. At Ramstein, Seventeenth Air Force exchanged its support mission in the southern region for the defensive and offensive air mission in central Europe. The command's inventory included more than 500 tactical and 150 support aircraft operating from bases in West Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy. After the 1961 Berlin Crisis and a USAFE headquarters reorganization, 17 AF assumed responsibility for five bases in Great Britain from Third Air Force.

During the 1972 USAFE reorganization, CINCUSAFE moved his headquarters across Germany from Lindsey Air Station to Ramstein Air Base. To accommodate USAFE HQ, 17 AF relocated to Sembach Air Base, West Germany, in October 1972.

In the 1980s, Seventeenth Air Force saw the number of its subordinate units almost double. Its area of responsibility included three of the Ground Launched Cruise Missile sites in Europe. In 1985, for the first time ever, Seventeenth Air Force brought together all European-based electronic warfare aircraft under a single command when it activated the 65th Air Division and the 66th Electronic Combat Wing at Sembach Air Base. All of these units were inactivated in the early 1990s.

The air bases at Hahn, Bitburg, Wiesbaden and Zweibrücken were closed by USAFE and turned over to the German government by 1993. Rhein-Main was closed at the end of 2005, its logistics missions being transferred to Ramstein and Spangdahlem.

Seventeenth Air Force was inactivated effective 30 September 1996, due to reductions in force after the Cold War.

Structure in 1989

At the end of the Cold War Seventeenth Air Force consisted of the following units, which in case of war with the Warsaw Pact would have come under Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force:

Seventeenth Air Force, at Sembach Air Base

65th Air Division, at Lindsey Air Station

52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, at Spangdahlem Air Base

23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon

81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon

480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon

66th Electronic Combat Wing, at Sembach Air Base

42nd Electronic Combat Squadron, detached to Third Air Force at RAF Upper Heyford, UK

43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, with EC-130H Compass Call

316th Air Division, at Ramstein Air Base

86th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Ramstein Air Base

512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon

526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon

377th Combat Support Wing, at Ramstein Air Base

26th Tactical Reconnaissance Fighter Wing, at Zweibrücken Air Base

38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, with 22x RF-4C Phantom II

36th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Bitburg Air Base

22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle

53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle

525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle

50th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Hahn Air Base

10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with F-16C Block 25 Falcon

313th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with F-16C Block 25 Falcon

496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with F-16C Block 25 Falcon

38th Tactical Missile Wing, at Pydna Missile Base, Germany

89th Tactical Missile Squadron, with 96x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles

485th Tactical Missile Wing, at Florennes Air Base, Belgium

71st Tactical Missile Squadron, with 48x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles

486th Tactical Missile Wing, at Woensdrecht Air Base, Netherlands, 48x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles were assigned to Woensdrecht, but none were deployed by 1989

601st Tactical Control Wing, at Sembach Air Base (operating AN/TPS-43 mobile radars)

7100th Combat Support Wing, at Lindsey Air Station

7100th Supply Squadron

7100th Transportation Squadron

7100th Comptroller Squadron

7100th Combat Support Wing Medical Center – Wiesbaden (GE), Medical Center Compound

18th Aeromedical Staging Flight

610th USAF Contingency Hospital – Lindsey AS (GE)

652nd USAF Contingency Hospital – Donaueschingen (GE), Donaueschingen Contingency Hospital Annex

653rd USAF Contingency Hospital – Wiesbaden (GE)

7261st Munitions Support Squadron – Memmingerberg (GE), Fliegerhorst Memmingen (special weapons storage and maintenance)

7361st Munitions Support Squadron – Kleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium (special weapons storage and maintenance)

7362nd Munitions Support Squadron – Volkel Air Base, Netherlands (special weapons storage and maintenance)

7501st Munitions Support Squadron – Alflen (GE), Fliegerhorst Büchel (special weapons storage and maintenance)

7502nd Munitions Support Squadron – Nörvenich (GE), Fliegerhorst Nörvenich (special weapons storage and maintenance)

4th Air Support Operations Group, in Frankfurt am Main (Liaison with V US Corps)

8th Air Support Operations Group, in Stuttgart (Liaison with VII US Corps)

32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle at Soesterberg Air Base, Netherlands

7104th Air Base Group, at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium

Under AFRICOM

It was announced on 12 September 2008 that Seventeenth Air Force would be reactivated, to be headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, located west of Kaiserslautern in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was to form part of United States Africa Command. The stand-up ceremony occurred on 18 September 2008, under the command of Major General Ron Ladnier. It was officially reactivated by the Air Force on 1 October 2008. In this capacity, it was subordinate to the United States Air Forces in Europe, and be referred to by its componency name: Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA).

Air Forces Africa conducts sustained security engagement and operations as directed to promote air safety, security and development on the African continent. Through Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) events, Air Forces Africa carries out U.S. Africa Command's policy of seeking long-term partnership with the African Union and regional organizations as well as individual nations on the continent. AFAFRICA works with the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to assist African states in developing their national and regional security institutions to promote security and stability and facilitate development.

AFAFRICA includes at least two air expeditionary groups. The 449th Air Expeditionary Group, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti provides combat search and rescue for the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. It consists of HC-130Ps from the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, and pararescuemen from the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. The 404th Air Expeditionary Group is co-located with AFAFRICA at Ramstein. During contingency operations, the group forward-deploys to facilitate air and support operations for varied missions on the continent, ranging from humanitarian airlift to presidential support. The 404 AEG deployed to Rwanda in January 2009 to provide airlift for peacekeeping equipment in support of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur. In July 2009, the 404 AEG deployed to Ghana to provide aerial port and aircraft maintenance teams, along with forward communications, early warning and air domain safety and security elements for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit.

In June 2010, Brigadier General Margaret H. Woodward took command of Seventeenth Air Force. Seventeenth Air Force directed the U.S. air involvement in the 2011 military intervention in Libya, dubbed Operation Odyssey Dawn,before command of the whole operation was transferred to NATO.

As of 13 January 2010, the Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley announced that the 617th AOC will be consolidated with the 603d Air and Space Operations Center (according to AFA reporting).

Seventeenth Air Force was inactivated in April 2012 as part of an Air Force cost savings effort. United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) assumed the former staff functions of Seventeenth Air Force, while the Third Air Force and the 603d Air and Space Operations Center (603 AOC) assumed responsibility for USAFRICOM air operations, with the 603 AOC absorbing the former 617th Air Operations Center.

Lineage

Established as Seventeenth Air Force on 17 Apr 1953

Organized 25 Apr 1953 Inactivated on 30 September 1996

Reactivated on 1 October 2008

Assumed joint designation Air Forces Africa, 1 October 2008 Inactivated on 24 April 2012

Assignments

United States Air Forces in Europe, 25 April 1953 - 30 September 1996;

United States Air Forces Africa, 1 October 2008 - 24 April 2012

Components

Divisions

65th Air Division, Lindsey AS, West Germany (later Germany)

1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991

316th Air Division, Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany)

14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991

7217th Air Division, Ankara AS, Turkey

7 August – 15 November 1959

Wings

Stations

Rabat-Sale, French Morocco (later, Morocco), 17 April 1953

Wheelus Air Base, Libya, 1 August 1956

Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, 15 November 1959

Sembach Air Base, West Germany (later Germany), October 1972 – 30 September 1996

Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 1 October 2008 – 24 April 2012